The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is suggesting mandatory replacements of lavatory bifold door latches on Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) and MAX models. This follows an incident where a passenger could not exit the lavatory due to latch failure. The “FAA said that following a report of a passenger being unable to leave a lavatory due to a broken latch,” it recommends airlines operating these aircraft to replace the door latches.
Despite not directly referencing the incident, it is known that in 2024 a SpiceJet 737-800 passenger was trapped in the lavatory for nearly an hour. The incident necessitated an unscheduled landing. The FAA indicated that material fatigue in the latch’s plastic structure due to stress and machining marks led to the problem. “The material fatigue was caused primarily by excessive stress combined with weld-line and machining marks from drilling holes for inserts into the plastic structure,” they stated.
Over 2,600 affected 737 NG and MAX aircraft in the United States may require these replacements. The estimated labor cost is $170 with parts costing $481 per latch, totaling $1,302 per aircraft and approximately $3.4 million for all affected models. The NPRM will precede an airworthiness directive (AD), with public comments accepted until May 27. Post-publication of the final rule AD, operators will have four months to replace the latches.
Recent related events include another incident on a SpiceJet 737-800 flight in January 2024, resulting in the passenger being stuck in the lavatory during the flight from Mumbai to Bengaluru. This particular flight did not result in an unscheduled landing.
The FAA is clear on the urgency of addressing this issue to prevent potential injuries during emergencies, asserting that the faulty latch could “impede access to the passenger and impede egress during an emergency evacuation.”
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